The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-09-23
CARLOADS OF MONEY.
Gold and Silver in Uncle Sans Treasury IN
IncOmprehensible Quantities.

Gold and Silver in Uncle Sans Treasury in
IncOmprehensible Quantities.
Few persons, perhaps, who read the
frequently published reports of the ifs
cal operations of the Government give
any consideration to the Yastness and
significance of these operations. 1t is
only when the auriferous contents of
the treasury vaults are weighed and
measured and placed by the side of art
icles and commodities that are daily
handled by the masses, that an intelli-
gent comprehension can be obtained by
the people of the financial strength of
the treasury and the great extent of
the Government fiscal operations.
l find by reference to the latest pub
lished statement of treasury assets and
liabilities that among the assets was
1921, O96, All in gold and nearly $780,
600, 900 in silver, including a. 100000
of trade dollars and fractional coins.
Taking up this 1921, 900, 900 of gold and
placing it on scales l find that the gold
held by the Treasury weighed SIG tons,
and if packed into ordinary carts, one
! ton to each cart, it would make a pro-
cession two miles long, allowing twenty
! feet of space for the movement of each
! horse and cart.
The weighing of the silver produces
much more interesting results. Run
ming this over the scales, find it's
weight to be 1896 tons. Measuring it
in carts, as in the case of the gold, the
silver now held by the Treasury would
require the services of 1896 horses and
carts to transport it, and would make
n procession over twenty-one miles in
length The surplus about which so
much is said in the daily newspapers
amounts to nearly $47, 100000 Counted
as gold, the surplus would weigh 863
tons. Counted as silver it would weigh
1885 tons, Each million of gold adds
1855 pounds to the surplus. and each
million of silver adds SO, $50 pounds.
Apply cubic measurement to the
Treasury gold and silver and piling the
two metals on Pennsylvania avenue as
cordwood is piled before delivery to
the purchaser, 1 find that the gold
would measure thirty-seven cords and
the silver 400 cords, and that both
would extend from the Treasury De-
partment to Four and Half street, OF
from the Treasury to the Pension Office
in straight line, and forming a solid
wall eight feet high and four feet
broad.
Extending these calculations and
comparisons to the Understanding
debt, equally interesting results are
obtained. The public debt reached the
highest point in August, 1865-twenty
two years ago, when it was 50, 3S1, $50,
295. The general reader will better
appreciate the vastness of this sun
when informed that it represents 20, 15t
tons of silver, which would make pro
cession of carts that would extend
from Richmond, Va. to point twelve
miles north of Philadelphia, the dis
lance it would thus cover being 26t
| miles. The Understanding debt i
now (not including the Pacific railroad
; bonds) S1,OO1, 976. $50, showing tha
, the sum paid has been 1888, 553, AS
or more than one-half of the tota
f amount, and representing 4O.637 ton
2 of silver dollars, which would extend
154 miles if packed in carts containing
r one ton each.
1 Reducing the figures to a basis where
they may be intelligently compre
e hended, and that the rapldlty witt
5 which the Government has reduced it
D bonded debt may be fully realized b.
4 the general reader. l find that the re
f duction has been at the averaged rat
5 of 500, 7O6, 975 each year. So, 225, %
each month. STA, 186 each day, s., Is
/ each hour, and S12O. AZ for every minut
of the entire twenty-five years. Pu1
4 suing the calculation to the smalles
= divisible space of time, the Blondes
debt of the United States has been de
, creased at the rate Of g. oO.7 for ever
second, or for every swing Of the pen
: dulum, for the entire period from An
r gust 81, 1865. to July 81, 1881 Cor
= Chicago NetoS.
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